Opening the night are local band The Brights. The band have just released their debut single 'Bric-A-Brac Shop Girl' through Bitterscene Records (tonight’s gig promoters), and I've heard good things about them, so when they come on stage an obvious air of expectation has developed. The band play a brand of indie long lost in the mists of time, with flashes of bands such as The Smiths and The Small Faces appearing throughout. Therein lies the problem - they're just flashes. Singer David Burgess is undoubtedly talented, and the band's tight enough as a unit. The songs are okay too, but something's missing; that little something that makes you sit up and really take notice. By the time they finish I'm still to work out if I like them or not. I think I will have to see them again to decide for sure.

After a brief interlude on to the stage comes Vinny Peculiar. For those of you who don't know, he's backed by Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke who were, of course, in The Smiths, and just one glance at tonight’s audience - taking in the average age - suggests who most have come to see. Vinny himself is a strange character indeed: he looks like Iggy Pop, is a former psychiatric nurse and is considered to be part of the 'anti-folk' circuit. But just four or five songs in and I'm losing interest - long-winded, aimless banter between songs is frustrating to say the least and when he does play the songs are average at best. Thankfully, something changes. I don't know what sparks it, but from the opening of 'Jesus Stole My Girlfriend' everything goes right. The music steps up, the banter's more amusing, and the band's more relaxed and having fun - what seemed awkward just moments previous is now effortless. Songs such as the acoustic rendition of 'Confessions Of A Sperm Donor' are both funny and touching, and the Monaco-esque 'Replica Shirt' has the crowd swaying. By the time the band close out with 'Punk Rock Dreaming' everyone is into them and wanting them to play on.

As I leave, Mike and Andy are still signing autographs at the bar and I can't help but wonder if Morrissey would ever been seen in a small venue in North Essex. Stepping out of the venue and into the cold, I think about the past three hours: in retrospect, I think I can safely say it was a good gig. Now, when are The Brights playing next?